Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-06-21
A Strong Statement.

II DitOllk OSdItAiSAbs
As to Virgina's debt, the people living
outside Of this State are beginning 20 learn
the facts. Heretofore too many of them
have scornod to invest gate the subject for
themselves, and have contcnted themselves
with reading the false statements and I'M
founded charges OF the organs OF Wall
street and other places whose only religion
consists in driving hara bargains and count
ing the profits Of cspitalIstic raids. Now
The papers outside Of those centres OF cast
iron commercial notions are opening theit
cyes to the true condition OF things here.
HERBERT SPENCER tells OF men in whose
lives ard theories religion and morality
we're I'm no way connected. Also OF men
having nice sense OF commercial honor.
who would not hesitate TO violate half OF
The ten commandments. II has been per.
sons whose religion required no connection
between money matters aud the better feel.
lngs OF humanity who have traduced this
honored old Commonwealth and endeavOr-
cd for years to have her branded with the
word Reputation"
We were led into making those remarks
by an article from the Louiyille Courier.
Journal sent to us by friend, with the re-
quest that we should reproduce 1t. 1t reads
rs follows:
"The debt OF Virginia was issued on
financial predicates which stronger power
than herself destroyed. The debtor being
thus overwhtlm the creditor had no
other recourse than TO share in the conse.
quences. Nirginia's warranty has never
been surpassed in validity in any
nation. The loss, waste, and destruc
ton OF four years occupation by the
largest armies in tie field. the loss Of capt.
tai, and the isofgapiZltiOn OF labOr-all this
wrcckagc is regarded aS incOnsequential
nv several northern newspapers, with the
New York Nation pushing for the front.
The English bigot VINO edits the Nation i
handy, rs usual, with his epithets. but he
could not name another people in all the
world who in the last 500 years has suffered
such a wreckage, and yet the Mutton eau
not mention nation in Europe which has
not arbitrarily repudiated part OF Its deb,
in 200 years.
mo people ever had the predlcated as
sets OF debt more completely swept away
hy irresistible force than the Nirginians.
People who have any Intelligence or reason
decide public questions like this as they
would private questions OF morality. In
the case Of manufacturer who puts his
whole commercial stake in plant
and machinery, and borrOws a run.
ming capital on the credit thereof. il an
earthquake or an overflow should de-
stroy his property, thus destroying his sol
Nencv. who but an ass or knaye would
call this man a dishonest repudiator when
be ceases his payments? No one, indeed.
and of such are the mOuthing hypocrltes
who are continually abusing Virginia AZ
the beck OF English capital. because eX.
actly such calamity stopped of her reye,
nueS and killed the original resources OF
her debt predlcati0n. Unfortunately none
OF any consequence nave come into their
place, and Governor Lee pronounces her
poverty TO be even more extreme than ut
The close of the war.
at is precisely such unthinklng critics
as the editor OF the Nation who have been
misleading the English creditors OF Nir-
2inia into a peremptOry, incorporating
policy. which no intelligent creditor in pri-
yate trade would have thought of adopting
toward debtor so completely ruined. By
q stupid contention. under the adyices OF
such writers as the Nation, for more than
was lust or discreet to ask. those creditors
have lost opportunities and moneys which
wiser and more generous men would have
set down to their credit twenty years ago.
When Shylock cuts for the debtors blood
the rascal ought always to suffer"
Al 1rrf 10 no oh
blood" and sHYLoCK will "su1ler," I'M
les, he concludes to accept the terms re-
Gently offered by the Virginia commits
,ion-terms 50 favorable to the creditors
that we fear so good will never again be
rendered them.